ARIETA Martin and Kevin Brown took top honours in the half marathon at Sundays Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Kingston City Run.
The run, which started at approximately 6:45 a.m., attracted more than 2,000 participants with the 5K race starting at the intersection of Trafalgar Road and Tobago Avenue while the half marathon started at Emancipation Park. Both races ended at Emancipation Park.
The half marathon, which took the runners past Devon Road, along West King’s House, Charlemont Avenue, and as far as the University of the West Indies campus and Long Mountain Road, saw Brown and Shawn Pitter in a very close battle all the way before Brown got the better of his rival in a very close finish. Brown clocked one hour 08.25 minutes while Pitter did 1:08.16.5 for second, with another road race veteran, Rupert Green, third in 1:11.53.
Brown, who received an airline return ticket to London for his effort, was very elated with his winning run.
“I am happy for the win as the course was challenging at first as I had not warmed up properly, because I got to the starting point a bit late. At one stage at UWI, I felt like vomiting, but I told myself that I had to continue and stepped up the pace. I was strongly challenged by Pitter but I did enough to hold him off,” said Brown.
CHALLENGING RUN
For the experienced Martin, who also won an airline ticket from Caribbean Airlines, it was also challenging.
“It was not one of my best runs as I have not trained for over a week because of illness, and what also compounded things for me, I took the wrong turn off by going inside the University of Technology and I had to run hard in the event to make up for that error,” said Martin, who ended the course in 1:32.05 to beat out Karen Blagrove, who was second in 1:34.47.
In the 5K event, Kevin Campbell came out on top in the male category in 19:15.5, ahead of Howard Henry (19:39.2), while Heather Sykes Facey took the top award among the females. Both 5K winners received a 42″ flat-screen television for their efforts.
Bart Yasso from Runner’s World, who also participated in the event, was very pleased with the whole organisation and the course itself.
“The course was extremely good, especially the second part coming down the hill, and it was good to see some beautiful places in Kingston. It was a great job done by the organisers of the meet. I will be back in Kingston next year for this race,” he said.
With a host of corporate firms participating in the event, it was the Courtleigh group that came out on top. Proceeds from the event will go to the Marie Atkins Shelter, Missionaries of the Poor, Food For the Poor and Open Arms Drop-In Centre.
